Cut-off for locomotive-engines.



-No. 628,569. Patented July ll, I899.

M. WILKES.

CUT-OFF FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.

@A umion filed Aug. 17, 1698 Modal-I 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

/N VENTO H Mu M-Mml J WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

M. WILKES. CUT-OFF FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.

Patented luly ll, I899.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

{N0 Modem m OHNE Y WITNESS/58:

//v VENTOH No. 628,569. Patented July ll, I899. M. WILKES.

CUT-OFF FUR LOCOMUTIVE ENGINES. (Application filed Au 17, fees. 1 (No Modal.)

3 Shuts-Sheet 3.

WITNESSES //v VENTOH 780411: v 61/ Mad a? aw 55y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

MOSES WILKES, OF TR EN'ION, NEW JERSEY.

CUT-OFF FOR LOCOMOTIVE-ENGIN E S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,569, dated July 1 1, 1899.

Application filed August 17, 1898. Serial No. 688,790. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern).-

Be it known that I, MOSES WILKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cut-Offs for Locomotive-Engines; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the acknown as the Stephenson link-motionwhich is used principally for the purpose of reversing the engine and which at the same time may be so employed and used as to give a distribution of steam in which the cutoff is earlier than in full gear and the expansion and compression are greater. This link-motion, while it is one of the earliest, is still the most usual form now in use but its action as a cut-off is not entirely satisfactory for reasons well known to engineers.

My invention has for its object to provide a locomotive or other quick-running engine with a cutofi mechanism which shall be simple in construction and effective in oper-.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the opposite side of Fig. 1 and partly in section. Fig. 3 isa top or plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section on line at a; of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

A is the main valve, with the usual steamports a and exhaust-port b, all of the ordinary construction and seated on the valveseat of the cylinder. Upon the back of the main valve is seated the cut-off valve B, made in two parts or blocks 13 B, to one of which the hollow valve-stem c is attached, while the other one is provided with a stem (1, passing through the hollow stem 0. Each 'of these valve-stems is provided with alug c, to which the eccentric-rods f f are pivoted, and said rods are connected at their inner ends to the eccentrics g g.

The reciprocation of the main-valve stem Z, and consequently the main valve A, is effected by the usual eccentrics H H on the main'shaft and the link G, and as this mainvalve stem l is rigidly attached to the block I, pivoted between the lower ends of lever C, while the cut-off valves B are eccentrically connected with the upperend of said lever 0, it will be seen that the latter has a double motionviz.,' a general longitudinal motion caused by the reciprocation of the main-valve stem and a vibrating motion on the pivotshaf-t it, caused by the action of the eccentric E on the main shaft and the mechanism intermediate of said eccentric and the upper end of lever C, and consequently the cut-off of the steam is eifectively controlled. This lever C is made of two parts, as clearly shown. The upper ends are connected by a short shaft which constitutes a pivotal connection forone end of a link 2', the other end of which is pivotally connected to a crank D on the shaft j, which is journaled in a bearing on the support 70. To this shaftj is secured another crank D, diametric to the crank D, and the outer end of the crank D is connected through the medium of a rod E with an cecentric E on the main shaft. The lower ends of the two parts of the lever O embrace a block I, (see Fig. 4,) which vibrates upon a pivot-bolt h, and the main-valve stem'l passes through and is rigidly secured to the block I. Near the upper end of the. lever C are arranged two short shafts g, carrying'each an eccentric g, to which the inner ends of the eccentric-rods f are respectively attached, the outer ends of said rods being connected, as above stated, to the lugs e on the two-part valve-stem c d. Each of the shafts g is provided with a gear-wheel n, intermeshing with each other, and one of said shafts is also provided with a crank, connected through the 7 medium of a rod K with abell-crank lever L, and by means of which and the intermeshing gears 11 n the two shafts gare caused to rotate and the eccentrics g are caused to approach or recede from one another, as desired, and consequently the throw of the cut-off valves B is controlled in an obvious manner.

The main-valve stem Z is connected at one end to the main valve A and at the other end to a link-block bya pivot-bolt m. This block moves in the curved slot in the link G of ordinary construction, as shown at Fig. 1. The link is connected by a rod G to an ordinary bell-crank lever, and the travel of the main valve is controlled or changed in the usual manner.

The operation is as follows: The main valve is set in the usual way by adjusting the eccentrics H on the shaft to their proper position for the proper amount of travel of the valve. By raising or lowering the links G the travel will be varied as desired. The cutoff is then placed so as to cut off the steam at the desired point. If it is desired to change the cut-01f, the lever L is moved in either direction, which will cause the eccentrics g g to be changed and, being connected to the valvestems c and d, will cause the blocks B B to be moved closer together or farther apart,

nected at the lower end to the main-valve stem and connected at the upper end through eccentrics g, g, to the cut-off-valve stems and through suitable intermediate mechanism with an independent eccentric E, on the main shaft, 'substantiallyas hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination with the ordinary eccentrics, link, and mainvalve and stem, and with the cut-off valves B B havingindependently-movable valve-stems, and a lever O, pivotally connected at its lower end to the main-valve stem, and atits upper end through eccentrics g, g, to the cut-off-valve stems, in termeshing gears n, n, on the shafts g, g, and a crank on one of the shafts g, and means for operatin g. the said crank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an engine, the combination with the main valve and stem operated by eccentrics on the main shaft, and cut-off valves operated primarily by an eccentric independently of the main eccentric, the lever O, pivot-ally connected with the main 4 valve stem and through the medium of eccentrics and rods with the cut-ofE-valve stems, and adapted to reciprocate with the main-valve stem, and to vibrate with the cut-oif-valve stems as here inbefore set forth.

4. In an engine, the combination of a main valve, a cut-off seated thereon and made in two par-ts, and a lever O, pivoted to the mainvalve stem, said lever carrying gear-wheels n, 'n, and eccentrics connected by separate rods to lugs e, e, secured to the valve-stems of the cut-off, and arranged as described to cause the two parts of the cut-off to approach or recede from each other as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MOSES YVILKES.

\Vitnesses:

M. CURTIS LAMMOND, D. F. ST ART. 

